Heat wave grips S. Korea as monsoon season ends

All News 10:28 August 17, 2020

SEOUL, Aug. 17 (Yonhap) -- A heat advisory has been put in place for most parts of South Korea on Monday as temperatures rose following the country's longest-ever monsoon season.

Heat advisories and alerts have been issued for areas in Daejeon, Gwangju and Busan, where the wind chill temperature was expected to exceed 35 C for two or more days. In Seoul, the wind chill temperature was expected to remain over 33 C for two or more days.

People relax at Haeundae Beach in the southeastern port city of Busan on Aug. 16, 2020. (Yonhap)

The Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) forecast daytime temperatures to rise over 33 C, with the mercury surging over 35 C in the country's eastern coastal areas and southern areas, including the resort island of Jeju.

Night temperatures were also expected to stay high, prompting tropical nights, in which nighttime lows remain above 25 C between 6:01 p.m. and 9 a.m. the following day.

On Monday, nighttime lows reached 26.1 C in Seoul, 28.3 C in Gangneung, 26.1 C in Busan and 27 C in Jeju, according to the KMA.

The heat wave comes after the country underwent a record-long monsoon season. This year's rainy season began June 24 and continued for 54 days in the central part of the country, marking the longest monsoon season following a 49-day streak in 2013, according to the KMA.